SPRING 2016

This spring, Black Diamond continues an online film series dedicated to sharing stories from the soul of climbing and backcountry skiing. BDTV goes beyond beautiful sunsets and hard grades to profile the climbers, route setters and hometown heroes for whom climbing is more than a passion: it's a way of life.

From the steep cliffs of Rifle in Colorado to the forests of Fontainebleau, France, BDTV travels the world to find these characters and document the joys, fears, decisions and sacrifices that go into living the life of a committed climber. Featuring award-winning cinematography, each film is accompanied by images from renowned photographers.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to never miss an episode, check back here for the in-depth photos, articles and behind-the-scenes footage and join us at a climbing shop near you for the BDTV Film Tour (see below).

The Pact

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT tenets of the ROCK Project is The Pact, a set of guidelines that all climbers should live by. The guidelines are as follows:

To date, thousands of climbers, from all over the globe, have committed to The Pact, pledging to take responsibility for the areas in which they climb. To learn more, and commit to The Pact, click the button below.

The ROCK Project Tour

SINCE ITS IMPLEMENTATION in 2015, the ROCK Project has toured the country, making stops in Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, San Francisco, and New York City, bringing stoke and knowledge to climbing communities with a team of professional climbers. Partnering with climbing gyms, local climbers, non-profit advocacy groups, community leaders, and Black Diamond athletes, ROCK Project has cleaned up local crags at each stop and worked towards creating an outdoor climbing ethos that values and protects its climbing areas.

In 2016, ROCK Project goes on the road again, with stops across the country. Each tour stop is a multi-day event, with pro-tip clinics, clean ups, athlete presentations, gear giveaways, and, of course, climbing—inside at the gym and outside at the crags. The 2016 ROCK Project tour stops include:

THE BDTV FILM TOUR

Join us for free beer, food and the premiere of the first season of BDTV. At each stop of the BDTV Film Tour, we'll screen the next three episodes of BDTV, host a slideshow by a Black Diamond athlete and hold a raffle for Black Diamond gear and apparel.

THE DISTILLERY AND HOGWARTS are two limestone crags poised like a yin-yang at opposite sides of a tight north-running canyon through which East Elk Creek flows. Both crags are what they are today in large part because of Dave’s voracious appetite for sinking bolts into virgin limestone. For years, folks had passed these crags by as they drove onward to the routes of Rifle. At these walls, Dave spent some of the best days of his life, bolting and climbing hard new lines. It’s hard to not feel his presence here.

White Lightning, a route bolted by local Josh Gross with Dave’s support, is an excellent 5.13b that ends two-thirds of the way up a 40-meter cliff, yet above the anchors lies a deceptively blank shield of bone-white limestone with curious pockets and razor-blade edges. Dan wanted to carry this route to the top of the cliff, as Dave had envisioned, but he needed my help to teach him how to bolt.

I, by no means, am an expert route developer, but I have done some of the good lord’s work, as we call route-setting out here in Western Colorado. Much of that knowledge came from my time spent with Dave. It felt good to spend a day out in the mountains with my friend Dan, passing on some of the information that Dave had given to me.

After Dan placed some new bolts, sunk an anchor and cleaned the line, he set to work figuring out the V10 boulder sequence. Two redpoint burns later, Dan was falling off the very last moves of the boulder problem. He didn’t quite manage the send on this trip, but plans to finish the route up in May.

They say the best climber in the world is the one who is having the most fun. But what’s even better is finding ways to give back and build up the individuals and community around you, while at the same time having fun and pushing yourself to be the best. Dave’s death was a reminder to all of us to pursue a wider life because, at the end of it all, a bunch of hard redpoints amassed don’t mean shit if those achievements are pursued to the exclusion of all the good in life.

Alpine Start Hoody - Women's

€150.00€105.00

Minimalist to the core, the Alpine Start Hoody provides lightweight weather resistance and breathability for fast-and-light mountain travel. When the weather clears, just stow this ultralight softshell in its internal chest pocket and clip it to your harness.

Alpine Start Hoody

€150.00€105.00

The Alpine Start Hoody is a pared-down protective layer, designed to shield the minimalist climber against ridgeline gusts and intermittent precipitation. The ultra-packable design incorporates a self-stowing chest pocket for easy storage on your harness or in your pack.

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